Railway.



T. J. SHBEHAN.

RAILWAY.

APPLIOATION FILED BBPT.12, 1910.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

e be :V

"rnl Naam: rlrlls 6.. llaman-mil. nc.

THOMAS J'. SHEEIIAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAILWAY.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

Application led September 12, 1910. Serial No. 581,503.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. SHEEHAN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railways,of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to improvements in railways and has for its objectthe provision of a railway the wheels of the rolling-stock and the railsof which are so constructed as to increase the tractive force at pointsof starting, stopping, or on grades.

A further object of my invention is to provide a railway which shall besimple of construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and efficient inoperation.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

I am aware that tracks having a racktread have been employed and used inconjunction with toothed wheels precisely the same as an ordinary rackand pinion, but I wish to be clearly understood as distinguishingbetween devices of this construction and the construction I employ, asmy track is designed to be used at points of starting, stopping, or ongrades where sand is usually employed to produce friction or increasetractive force.

My invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of partsas will be hereinafter fully described and more particularly pointed outin the appended claim.

My invention will be more readily understood 4by reference to theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rail employed in my invention, Figs.2 and 8 are front elevations of rails and wheels in contact therewith,and, Fig. 4 is an end elevation of an ordinary rail.

The preferred form of my invention as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings comprises wheels 1 and 2, the former being the usual car wheeland the latter a specially formed engine or motor wheel. The latterwheel is provided with the usual tread and with an enlarged liange 3,the peripheral surface of which is cylindrical and knurled. At points ofstarting, stopping, and on grades, a knurled surface 4 is provided onthe rail 5 to coperate with the knurled peripherical surface of theflange 3, said knurled surface 4 being formed on the top of the elevatedside iange 6.

7 designates a standard rail, the side flange of which is somewhat lowerthan the knurled flange 6 as clearly drawn in Figs. 2 and 4. It isapparent that the regular wheel flange of the wheel 1 will not contactwith the knurled surface 4 and that said wheel will travel in the usualmanner on the rail 5 when the motor wheel 2 is elevated therefrom andtraveling in the side iange 6. The end of the knurled surface 4 isslightly beveled 'to prevent sudden shock when the motor wheels engagetherewith.

The operation is obvious, the motor or engine wheel being able to securea grip upon the track sulicient to enable it to get a quick startwithout the use of sand and without in any way impairing or injuringeither the wheels or the track. Should, however, it ever becomeexpedient to use sand in connection with my rails, theknurled surfacewill so hold the sand as to cause a greater friction with the wheels bypreventing the sand from belng brushed ofi' the track by the revolvingof the wheels necessary in starting. In stopping also the constructionof my track prevents the liability of slipping and sliding of the wheelsafter brakes have been applied, thereby enabling a train or car to bestopped 1n a much shorter space and in a much shorter time.

While I have shown what I deem to be the preferred form of my improvedrailway, I do not wish to be limited thereto, as there might be variouschanges and modifications made in the details of construction andarrangement of parts described without departing from my invention,hence I desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications aswill be comprehended Within the4 scope of the appended claim.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

In a railway, the combination with a wheel provided with the usual treadand having an enlarged integral flange provided with a knurledcylindrical periphery, of a rail havname to this specification in thepresence of ing the usual tread and a knul-led integral tWo subscribingWitnesses.

Siderlan e arranfred to Contact With said v WheelfflaIg-ige andinoelevate the usual Wheel THOMAS J' SHEEHAN tread abovev the usual railtread, substanl VVitnesseL-i: v tially as described. Y JOSHUA R. H.POTTS,

In testimony whereof I have signed my ARTHUR A. OLSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

